Chapter 5 – Transmigrated into an R-19 romance novel. There's a rabbit. (5)
TL: Zimming
Editor: bodyinthefreezer
I lived alone with my grandmother in a small town before I transmigrated. After my grandmother passed away, I came to Seoul, but a longing for the quiet countryside still remained in a corner of my heart.
I still remember picking up branches with my small hands, putting them in the furnace, cooking rice in a large cauldron, and making a bowl of soup.
I had already completed the plan for the production of the cauldrons inside my head. I would draw the picture for the cauldron and adjust the designs with the blacksmith as they created the prototype. Since I was already experienced in constructing a furnace, assembling a furnace by myself would be a breeze. I would start the project with two cauldrons and possibly increase them in the future. If they asked what the cauldron was and how I thought of it, I could just say that I saw it in a cookbook about the East.
I made up my mind and wandered around the palace to search for a location to place the cauldron. Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind me.
"Oh my god!"
I looked back in surprise.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."
The boy standing behind her smiled.
He was still young, but he was tall and well-built. His face was sharp and defined and he had dark and thick eyebrows, paired with a slightly angular jawline.
Contrary to the mysterious and beautiful-looking Blake, he was a boy with handsome and defined features.
However, his red eyes were full of arrogance.
Wait a minute...
Black hair, red eyes, and a scar on the neck...
Instinctively I had a feeling. This boy was Richard, the male lead of 'The Beast and the Lady.'
"Richard...?"
Even so, I called his name carefully because there was a possibility that it might not be him. The boy's arrogant smile deepened.
"Long time no see, Ancia."
Ah, I must be right.
Richard was the second son of the Emperor's brother, Duke of Cassil. Since Blake, the Crown Prince, was cursed and destined to not live long, Duke Cassil's sons were considered to become the next Emperor.
However, Richard was far from obtaining the rights to succeed the throne. After all, his mother was a lowly slave. The Asteric Empire did not discriminate much against illegitimate children, but it was a different story if they were children of slaves.
Moreover, Richard was not born with silver hair, a symbol of the Imperial family. The black hair he had inherited from his mother was also one of Richard's insecurities.
After Emperor Tenstheon passed away, his younger brother, Arnold Cassil, deposed the Crown Prince Blake and ascended the throne. It was Richard who made the most contributions at that time.
He was the best out of the duke's three sons, but he was not recognized because of his mother's blood. Carrying the ambition to become an Emperor, he stepped on his enemies one by one and eventually ascended to the throne. At the end of the novel, He used Diana to get rid of Blake.
This time, I was going to stop those events from happening. Emperor Tenstheon would not have a sudden death nor would Blake be ousted from the throne.
Blake was happy as he was. If the curse is lifted, he would become the next Emperor without any problems. There would be no room for Richard to intervene.
"What can I do for you?"
But, why did the male lead come to see me?
Richard was a calculating man. He wouldn't do anything that didn't benefit him. He approached Diana in the original book because he felt she was very valuable since she had lifted Blake's curse. (Although he realizes his genuine love for the heroine in the end because it is a romance novel.)
He would have found no use of me being the wife of an abandoned prince.
"You made a scene as soon as you got married."
"A scene?"
"I heard you've fired many of the palace's servants"
"Ah..."
I see... He must have planted a spy among the servants I fired.
Currently, Richard was only 14 years old. Yet, he had already planted a spy at this young age. I already knew from the book.
The maid who usually aided Blake was originally Richard's maid. What surprised me was that Richard suddenly came to see me face to face.
Wasn't he very cautious?
Richard was so thorough that he could get rid of his enemies one by one with all sorts of schemes, but he was never to be seen until the last minute.
I didn't expect him to visit me as soon as I fired a spy. He might as well be blatantly admitting that he had planted a spy in the Crown Prince's palace.
"So?"
"You acted rashly, so unlike yourself."
What? He spoke as if he knew me well. Was there a point of contact between Richard and Ancia?
"What do you mean?"
"The family of Marquis Hamel is trusted by the Emperor. It was impudent to imprison the eldest son of the late Marquis. His Majesty himself chose all the other courtiers. It was not right to just fire them."
Yeah, after all they're all spies planted by you and your family.
I held back with what I wanted to say and smiled as if I knew nothing.
"You can't keep people you can't trust."
"If you want loyalty, you need generosity. You can't get that if you fire them so easily like that."
Why on earth did this guy suddenly appear before me and busy himself with giving me this ridiculous sermon?
"That's rude. It's none of young master's business.
"If you don't have anything to do with it, you should go now."
I was curious about the relationship between Richard and Ancia, so I continued the conversation, but I was soon irritated by his nonsense.
I firmly expressed my displeasure and ordered him to go. Richard, however, had a rather haughty smile on his face.
"Are you being sulky?"
"Pardon?"
"Are you upset because I won't receive your love?"
What is this bullshit?
"You like me, right?"
Richard was a schemer, but he wasn't the type to just make up a story. It didn't appear in the original story, but it seems that Ancia liked Richard.
"Ancia, it wasn't because I wanted to reject your love. But, as you know, I'm the child of a slave. How can I ask for you under the Emperor's command?"
He looked at me with a mournful gaze. He looked like the hero of a tragic love story who had to break up with his beloved at the height of his status. If I didn't know he was a schemer, I would have been fooled.
Was this how he used the women that liked him?
In the original story, Richard was a man who, although brilliant, was incredibly arrogant, coercive, full of ambition, and obsessive.
Why is he so popular? Blake is a hundred thousand times better.
"Ancia, you're nice, so you understand my heart, right? You like me."
"What? Richard, you're delusional. Who likes you?"
I couldn't stand it any longer and got irritated. Richard's arrogant smile stiffened.
"What...?"
"And Richard Cassil, forget being rude, how dare you say such a thing to the Crown Princess. Are you insulting the Imperial family?"
"Ancia, are you still angry?" He took my hand in embarrassment.
I was about to shake Richard's hands off, but someone else grabbed his hand first.
"Your Highness..."
It was Blake.
Blake grabbed Richard's hand and glared at him.
"Ancia said she hates it."
Richard's eyes widened, startled by the Crown Prince's sudden appearance, but the arrogant smile soon returned to his face.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. Lady Bellacian and I are acquaintances..."
"Richard, she's no longer a Lady. She's the Crown Princess."
Soon, Richard bowed his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, your Highness. I made a slip of tongue."
"Be careful. If you disrespect the Crown Princess one more time, you won't be forgiven."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Richard was white as a paper, sweating heavily and straining his head.
What was wrong with him? At first, Richard ignored Blake. On the surface, he seemed to respect the Crown Prince, but he didn't care about the Crown Prince's authority.
"Get lost."
Blake let go of his hand. Then, Richard fled, with his face pale. What the hell was going on here? Looking at Richard staggering away, Blake carefully tugged my hand.
"Don't look."
"What?"
"Ancia, don't look at him..."
He whispered with a sullen expression.
"I won't look. Also, he's a dog, not a man."
"Dog?"
"He's a total son of a bitch. He said I like him. He must be crazy."
"... don't you like him? Richard is very popular...."
Blake asked carefully.
"Oh, I hate that sort of guy. I like cute guys like you instead."
"Hehe."
Blake smiled brightly, rubbing his white cheeks on my hands.
"What kind of girls do you like?"
"Ancia."
"I mean, which type do you prefer?"
"I like Ancia. All I need is Ancia!"
Blake jumped into my arms and hugged me. I smiled and returned his hug.
"You are all I need too..."
Chapter 6 – Transmigrated into an R-19 romance novel. There's a rabbit. (6)
TL: Zimming
Editor: bodyinthefreezer
All the spies planted around the Crown Prince were kicked out. Ancia had fired a large number of senior servants and courtiers. The Duke of Cassil and his half-brother Frank were furious, but Richard smiled inwardly.
Not only was the spy they had planted kicked out, but all his father's spies had disappeared. The result was a success. The maid who had been aiding Blake was a good card, but he had an even better card left. It was 'Ancia' who became the Crown Princess.
Ancia liked Richard. He had seen her glancing at him every now and then. Ancia was a little girl who longed for familial love, so coaxing her was a piece of cake. When Ancia heard she would be married off to the Crown Prince, she attempted suicide out of desperation. Lamentably, she managed to survive and would have to live the rest of her hellish life with the monstrous Crown Prince.
Seducing a little girl who was in loneliness and despair was a simple task. If he could make the Crown Princess his puppet, it would be more effective than planting ten spies. Richard smiled lightly and headed to the Crown Prince's palace.
"Ancia, you're nice, so you understand my heart, right? You like me."
Was there anything else that was as easy as winning the heart of a girl starved for affection?
Richard put on a sad expression on the surface while he laughed at Ancia inwardly, but for the first time, his prediction was off. Ancia's gaze towards Richard was full of irritation instead.
Richard was shocked.
Had she always looked that pretty?
In fact, she had always been pretty. Diana's bright refreshing beauty at an early age was quite famous in social circles, but in fact, Ancia's features were much more prominent than her, making her appear more beautiful.
However, her timid personality and longing for affection was obvious on her face, and it made her appear miserable, seeming like a jewel that lost its light.
But now she looked like a completely different person. With her beautiful appearance and imposing dignity, she was not just a ten-year-old girl, but the perfect 'Crown Princess'.
Richard thought she was just one of the many women who liked him. He thought she was a stupid girl who became a princess so would be a little more useful.
"Ancia, are you still angry?"
Richard somehow became impatient and took Ancia's hand, but soon, someone seized his hand. It was Blake, the Crown Prince.
'How dare you touch me when you're just a monster?'
Richard did not believe the rumors that the heir of the curse would transmit their curse to others, but he did not intend to be close to a cursed monster with no value. Richard angrily tried to strike Blake's hand, but at that moment, a powerful force spewed out of Blake's body. Mana burst out from his hand, as if it was ready to pierce Richard's body.
"Get lost."
As soon as Blake let go of his hand, Richard hurried out of the palace. After returning to the mansion, he looked at his hand.
It had been one hour since he left the palace, but his hands still hadn't stopped shaking. What happened? How could a cursed monster wield such a powerful force?
What did the Emperor do? Although the Emperor pretended to ignore the Crown Prince, he knew that the Emperor was trying his hardest to lift his son's curse.
He may have found a way. Richard shook his head. That can't be it...
Emperor Tenstheon left for the Valley of Chaos to seal the gate of darkness. Even if he wanted to release his son's curse, he didn't have time for it.
He didn't have time to do that even if he wanted to. Looking back at his hands, Richard recalled what had happened in the palace. The cursed inscriptions that covered the Crown Prince's hand remained the same. Perhaps it was not that he had used some power, but simply the energy that sprouted from the curse.
"Richard, she's no longer a Lady. She's the Crown Princess."
Blake glared at Richard and proudly expressed his intention. The Crown Prince had changed. Something fundamental had changed, along with his use of power. Was it because of Ancia? Did Ancia's presence affect the monster?
At that moment Richard's crimson eyes flashed with a deep possessiveness.
Interesting...
Richard thought of himself as a man without greed. He had never been interested in anything except for wanting to become the Emperor ever since he was young. But today.
'Ancia. I want her.'
***
The next day, Richard sent me a gift with a letter saying he was sorry.
'What's wrong with him?'
Did I look like I was worth using? Was he trying to seduce me, making me a spy of the Crown Prince?
I had to refuse more firmly, so I sent his presents and letters back.
Melissa said it was not polite to refuse the letter too, but it seemed that that arrogant son of a bitch would only give up if I sent his letters back too.
However, another gift arrived the next day, and the day after. I kept refusing. Rather than stopping the gifts, the scale grew bigger.
"Your Highness, Richard has sent you another gift,"
"No need to tell me everytime. Just refuse them directly."
He was attacking me with gifts every single day.
"I tried to, but I heard it's a valuable treasure."
"Treasure?"
"Yes. It's a ring made of mermaid's breath."
He was crazy. I almost spat out a curse without realizing it.
'The breath of a mermaid' was a mana stone with the power of the sea, a jewel that looked like a pearl.
In the original story, Richard gave Diana 'The Breath of the Mermaid' a rare treasure, but why was he giving this to me instead?
His mind must've become muddled just because he wanted to plant a spy in the Crown Prince's palace.
To be honest, I wondered what 'The Breath of the Mermaid' looked like. It was a jewel that was praised for its beauty in the novel.
"I don't need it. Tell him not to send anything again because I won't accept any of them."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Hans went out with a big smile. He told me that the present had arrived, but he seemed happy to refuse.
***
Hans felt good.
The days had only been happy since Ancia came.
Warm light began to pour into the Crown Prince's palace. Although he was nervous for a moment because Richard showed interest in the Crown Princess, she flatly refused all of Richard's gifts and letters.
Rather than conceding to the rare treasures, Ancia was rather annoyed. She passed her days peacefully, devouring various books, and making delicious exotic dishes.
At night, she'd fall asleep holding the Crown Prince's hands tightly. She'd also help the Crown Prince bathe and didn't pay any attention to Prince Richard's blatant courtship.
Hans, Melissa, and Edon saw that and vowed once again to be loyal to her.
'But I didn't think she'd refuse 'The Breath of a Mermaid'.'
I couldn't believe that she didn't even look at the treasure. There would be less than thirty of them found, even if someone searched the whole world.
Hans prepared refreshments for the Crown Prince with a heart full of emotions.
He cracked a smile as soon as he saw the boy.
"Your Highness, what brings you to the kitchen?"
The Crown Prince rarely came out of his bedroom. The Emperor was not interested in Blake and the courtiers despised him for being a monster.
But Blake never got angry. Nor did he resent his cursed fate. He just stayed in the bedroom alone with empty eyes, like a person who couldn't feel sadness, anger, loneliness, or even pain.
He spent each day expressionlessly, as if he wouldn't care even if he died under the curse.
Though hidden, his mind seemed to already be dead. But now, the Crown Prince had changed. Laughter, tears, surprise, embarrassment, he started revealing his feelings to the fullest. His eyes used to be dim and covered with despair, unlike a normal eight-year-old boy.
"Hans."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After marrying Ancia, Blake began to call the courtiers by their names. Before that, he gave orders, but did not call out their names or build relationships with anyone.
Blake had distanced himself from the people around him as if he would disappear at any moment. But now, it was different.
"When is Ancia coming?"
Blake hesitated and opened his mouth. Hans had a warm smile on his lips.
"She went to the blacksmith. I think she'll be back soon."
Ancia went to the blacksmith's, saying she'd make a 'cauldron.'
It was her first outing since she got married.
"It's been two hours, ..."
"She's been outside for a long time. I think she stopped by somewhere else in pasing."
"There's a lot of dangerous people in the square.."